MARCH 2024 MORE INFORMATION
March is Women’s History Month. Established in 1987, the month recognizes all women for their valuable contributions to history and society. National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month was established to increase awareness and understanding of issues affecting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. National Deaf History Month celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of people who are deaf and those who are hard of hearing and raises awareness for the Deaf community. St. David’s Day is the feast day of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. International Women’s Day, first observed in 1911 in Germany, has now become a major global celebration honoring women’s economic, political, and social achievements. Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day festival that starts on the first day of the Hindu Luni-Solar calendar. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Nineteen-Day Fast is a time in the Bahá’í faith to reinvigorate the soul and bring one closer to God. This fast takes place immediately before the beginning of the Bahá’í New Year. Meatfare Sunday,or The Sunday of the Last Judgment, is traditionally the last day of eating meat before Easter for Orthodox Christians. St. Patrick’s Day started in Ireland to recognize St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who brought Christianity to the country in the early days of the faith. Ram Navami is a Hindu day of worship and celebration of the seventh avatar of Vishnu (Lord Rama). Devotees typically wear red and place extravagant flowers on the shrine of the god. Clean Monday is the beginning of Great Lent in the Orthodox Christian faith. Ostara is a celebration of the spring equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans. It is observed as a time to mark the coming of spring and the fertility of the land. St. Joseph’s Day in Western Christianity is the principal feast of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Nowruz/Norooz, or Persian New Year, is a day of joy, celebration, and renewal. It is held annually on the spring equinox. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed annually in the wake of the 1960 killing of 69 people at a demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in South Africa. The United Nations proclaimed the day in 1966 and called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. World Down Syndrome Day is marked each year on March 21, beginning in 2007. The 21st day of March was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.
Lazarus Saturday in Eastern Christianity refers to the moveable feast before Palm Sunday to which it is liturgically linked. It celebrates the raising of Lazarus of Bethany. Magha Puja Day, or Maka Bucha, is a Buddhist holiday that marks an event early in the Buddha’s teaching life when a group of 1,250 enlightened saints ordained by the Buddha gathered to pay their respect to him. It is celebrated on various dates in different countries. Holi is the annual Hindu and Sikh spring religious festival observed in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, along with other countries with large Hindu and Sikh populations. People celebrate Holi by throwing colored powder and water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlada accomplished when demoness Holika carried him into the fire. It is often celebrated on the full moon (the Phalguna Purnima) before the beginning of the vernal equinox as based on the Hindu calendar. Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm branches waved by the crowd to greet and honor Jesus as he entered the city. Purim, A celebratory holiday commemorating the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation in Persia in the 5 th Century BCE. Lailat al Bara’a, also known as Lailat Al Baraah, Barat, Shab-e-Bara, or Night of Forgiveness, is an Islamic holiday during which practitioners of the faith seek forgiveness for sins. Muslims spend the night in special prayers. It is regarded as one of the most sacred nights on the Islamic calendar. International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is a United Nations international observation that offers the opportunity to honor and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. First observed in 2008, the international celebration also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice. Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the canonical gospels. It is the fifth day of Holy Week, preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday. Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, and Black Friday. International Transgender Day of Visibility is celebrated to bring awareness to transgender people and their identities as well as recognize those who helped fight for the rights of transgender people. Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease